Chuck Berry
"Greatest Hits" (Vinyl)

Any discussion of the formative years of Rock n' Roll must include Chuck Berry. "Johnny B. Goode" is often cited as one of the most influential and important rock n' roll songs ever written.

This is a collection released in 1973 on the Chess label. Despite a jacket that is in pretty poor condition, the vinyl is clean and the music itself sounds clean and unadulterated.

Danny Kaye
"The Best of Danny Kaye" (Vinyl)

This 2-LP set is beautifully presented on the Decca label with technicolored LP labels and a mini-booklet inside the gatefold.

I don't recognize any of these songs from any of his movies, but they're entertaining none the less, with Mr. Kaye putting on different hats as the music dictates.

Laredo, Solow, Parnas, etc.
"Music from Marlboro: Ravel" (Vinyl)

This album includes both Ravel's piano trio and sonata for violin and cello.

The performances were captured live at recitals at the Marlboro festival, but they don't sound like many "live" classical performances; here the production is thoughtful and the recording is balanced and even.

The Dead Weather
"Sea of Cowards" (Vinyl)

Jack White, discontent with ever being stagnant, welds this new ensemble together out of spare body parts and puts himself in the role of motorizing the band with his drumming.

This is the Dead Weather's second album, and I believe it is infinitely better than their first. The first wasn't bad, but I think the band just hadn't quite figured out how they could combine their musical sorcery most effectively yet.

This album is dark, sinister and is one of the hardest rocking albums of the last couple of years. Jack White's drumming is yet another opportunity to show the rest of music how it should be done.

Harry Nilsson
"A Little Touch of Schmilsson in the Night" (Vinyl)

Harry Nilsson made this American jazz standards album in 1973, before such a project existed (and was ripped off by every rock n' roller bored with their current occupation.)

His voice is beautiful and the arrangements are really top-notch (Sinatra arranger Gordon Jenkins loaned his talents.)

Dionne Warwick
"Soulful" (Vinyl)

Released in 1969, this was Ms. Warwick's first departure from working with Burt Bacharach and Hal David. Meant to highlight the singer as an R&B singer instead of the soft pop she had become famous for when working with Bacharach (and perhaps tying her back to her "black" roots) this is a cover of a lot of "pop-y" R&B-y standards made famous by the likes of the Everly Brothers, the Rascals and the Beatles.

Not making too much of a break from her musical traditions, however, make the arrangement and production on this record pretty soft around the edges.

Emerson String Quartet
"Shostakovich: String Quartet no. 10" (CD)

Composed in 1964, this quartet is deceptively deep despite its brief length (22 min.)
Written for the Beethoven Quartet (as many of his late quartets were) the 10th quartet retains some of the whimsy of his middle quartets but begins to turn in tone and timbre towards the more introspective commentary that becomes familiar in his late quartets.

This is also more homework for future music-learning.

Kronos Quartet
"Gorecki - String Quartets no. 1 & 2" (CD)

Recorded in the early 90's and released in 1993, this CD, along with Dawn Upshaw/David Zinman's recording of Gorecki's third symphony pushed Gorecki's music into the American consciousness.

I'll admit, this is partially homework. I'm considering learning the second string quartet soon and I wasn't familiar with it at all.
It's equal parts serialism and minimalism; certainly not everyone's cup of tea, but it is a striking work, and Kronos gives (of course) a haunting, incredible performance on this recording.

Some would say Gorecki is the Bruckner of our age, and I think that means his music will come to an even greater appreciation as the decades progress.

Haitink, London Philharmonic
"Shostakovich: Symphony no. 7 "Leningrad" (Vinyl)

A four-sided LP is needed to contain Shostakovich's mammoth 7th symphony, universally rearded as a "war symphony" and the composer's response to the siege of Leningrad during World War II.

The symphony starts in such a sweeping, dramatic way it's hard to believe it's Shostakovich. Still, it would seem that Shostakovich had a unique motivation when writing the work. Regardless of his personal beliefs of and censorship by the Soviet government, the struggle against the Nazis was a universal one, and Shostakovich sought to unify energies against the great evil of the 20th century.

The B-52's
"The B-52's" (Vinyl)

The debut from the New Wave Surf Rockers, this album was released in 1979, well before their biggest hit, "Love Shack." For me, that's just fine, as I prefer the unadulterated New Wave bent this album takes.

Combine this sensibility with the beehive-wearing party-chic timbre and you have something that can only be out-weirded by the vocal stylings of Fred Schneider, Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson.

I love this album.

Nickel Creek
"This Side" (CD)

Nickel Creek's sophomore album is more of the beautifully crafted pop-jazz-bluegrass fusion that has earned the group legions of fans worldwide.

There's no real clear distinction from one album to the next for me. Some people want to say that Nickel Creek explored more specific genres from one album to the next, but for me each album is just a continuation of the band's exploration of their genre-blurring talents.

This album is wonderful to listen to. Carefully recorded and mixed, its like candy to the ears.

Burt Bacharach
"Greatest Hits" (Vinyl)

I have about three "greatest hits" albums by Mr. Bacharach. I don't suppose they all need to stay, but every time I start listening to one of these records I'm reminded of why I love his music.

For starters, there's the production: this record was released on A&M, and you can hear the smokey smooth Herb Alpert influence, the hollywood strings and soft jazzy sentiment.

The arrangements are just so pleasing to listen to. The strings are full of tiny harmonies that attract the ear and point to new harmonic ideas, the jazz combo gives a (then) contemporary drive.

...and then there's the songs, many of which I knew before I knew Mr. Bacharach. The songs are timeless, even if they are cheesy, and will be listened to, covered, sampled and remembered along with the greatest of the 20th century.

Before we go any further, I must call attention that we've now passed the most previously prolific year for posting on Turtles n' Cream. Go me.

Amy Winehouse
"Back to Black" (CD)

Without devolving into jokes about the untimely demise of Ms. Winehouse, its worth mentioning the impact that this album made on the public consciousness when it was released in 2006.

Complete with her beehive-toting Suicide Girl persona, Amy Winehouse thrust a musical style back into the spotlight. Erroneously, of course, the young public perceives that Ms. Winehouse invented this style of music.

This album suffers from the traditional big-label problem: a couple of stellar radio-friendly hits and then several songs that you've never heard of before.

I think we owe Amy a debt of gratitude. Because of her trailblazing, bands like Sharon Jones & the Dapkings, Charles Bradley, Lee Fields, the Budos Band etc. have found much much larger audiences as a new generation of listeners discover old-school funk and soul.

For that alone, Ms. Winehouse, I am indebted to you.

Chilingirian Quartet
"Korngold: String Quartets 1 & 3" (CD)

Recorded in 1976, this CD release of two of Korngold's quartets was surely a labor of love at the time. Korngold and his music was often overlooked for the decades immediately following his death. His work in Hollywood gave him the reputation among many reputable musicians for being a "film composer."

These quartets tell a different story, however. They are perhaps not as inventive as Bartok, but they pull from a compelling assortment of influences. They remind me a lot of intricate Prokofiev quartets, alternating between complex technical work and open, sonorous folk-like melodies. I very much want to learn these quartets now.

Miles Davis Quintet
"Miles Smiles" (Vinyl)

Released in 1967, this was recorded with Davis' "second great quintet" lineup that included a young Herbie Hancock on piano.

It's remarkable how quickly the New York jazz scene evolved from Davis' records in the 1950's to 1967 where the exploration of tolerances is pretty obvious.

There's something about listening to jazz on vinyl that makes me feel better than everyone else...

Jarre, London Philharmonic
"Lawrence of Arabia Soundtrack" (Vinyl)

In the spirit of the great film soundtracks, this score is both sweeping, dramatic and colorful.
We have John Williams to thank for saving the symphony orchestra's role as the primary tool of choice for films. When 'Lawrence' came out it was still in its heyday, and this soundtrack is probably as remembered a part of the film as Mr. O'Toole's eyes or the 65 mm super panorama filming.

Led Zeppelin
"II" (CD + Vinyl)

It's hard to point to a "best" Zeppelin album. I'm sure people have their favorites, but their first six albums are all such monoliths in the hard rock canon they should all be put in one box set when compiling the "desert island" list.

Includes the hits 'Ramble on,' 'Moby Dick,' 'Whole Lotta Love' and much much more!(!!)

It's a testament to the abilities of the band that when it came to hard-riffing grooves I've never heard another band that locked in like the combo of Page, Bonham and Jones.

Richter, Leinsdorf
"Brahms: Piano Concerto no. 2" (Vinyl)

Recorded only days after Richter's debut in Chicago in 1960, this recording was done in one day.
The back jacket is bubbling with praise and hyperbole for Richter's reception in the US. The short version: Richter is very good, and it's neat knowing just a piece of the back story of what went into this recording.

I have a mono pressing, which is interesting to hear, and further reinforces a growing sentiment that the advent of stereo was more of a push by salesmen eager to sell twice as many loudspeakers as they had been.
There's a beautiful, delicate clarity to this recording that I don't often hear done any better.

Tokyo String Quartet
"Schubert: Death & the Maiden, Quartettstatz" (Vinyl)

The Tokyo String Quartet was my first truly professional quartet concert that I saw. At the time they were still 3/4 of their original members with Peter Oundjian playing first violin.
Since then I've always regarded the Tokyo quartet as one of the finest quartets of their generation. Whether this could really hold true in a more mature analysis, I don't really care to know.

This performance is great, of course, but the recording itself is puzzling. Either there's something wrong with my stereo this morning or there's a very "covered" sensibility to the record, which makes it feel as though half of the recorded range is being dampened.
This record came out in 1983, (simultaneously available on chromium-dioxide cassette!) and I fear that at the dawn of the age of widespread digital recording the production considerations for analog formats like vinyl were being pushed aside.

The Flaming Lips
"The Soft Bulletin" (CD)

The Flaming Lips' ninth album could still be considered their first breakthrough work. It's probably the first album that most fans know about.

The Lips have never been concerned with making music that anyone really wanted to listen to, and its a refreshing change. That being said, I don't always want to listen to the Flaming Lips, and unless I'm in the mood for their weird boingo sensibilities the music rarely moves me.

This is, in many senses, as good as they've gotten so far. The songs are sprawling, but remain memorable. The production is cacophonous, but remains hooky.
Steve Drozd is the unrecognized backbone of the Flaming Lips. His drumming on this record is some of the funkiest, driving beats that really can't be over-emphasized in its importance to the band.